Gymnasts Hope Routines Are On The Beam

December 13, 1985|By Randall Mell, Staff Writer

Eight gymnasts at the International School of Gymnastics in Coral Springs are vying for state championships this weekend.

ISG girls will be among 240 gymnasts from 43 schools competing in the Class III state meet at Loggers Run Middle School in Boca Raton on Saturday and Sunday. Class III is for beginning gymnasts 9 to 18 years old. Competition begins at 8 a.m. both days.

ISG placed second in last year`s state meet but has no gymnasts back from that team. ISG Director John Locurto calls his school a favorite to win the team title despite its lack of experience.

``Other schools have good gymnasts, but because of our facility, our coaches and our philosophy, we feel we have an advantage,`` Locurto said. ``We feel we are capable of dominating the field in most meets.``

The ISG Class III team placed second by less than two points to Gold Coast gymnasts in a 17-team sectional this year in Pompano Beach. Girls had to accumulate 32 points in compulsory routines on four events to qualify for the state meet.

``She has shown a lot of improvement in a short time,`` ISG coach Jim Lyons said about Lopez. ``From her first local meet to her sectional meet she improved her score by 6 1/2 points. That`s better than 1.5 an event. Her best event is the floor.``

This is compulsory season, so all gymnasts must perform the same routines at the state meet. Lyons said this was a difficult season because gymnasts had a short time to learn new compulsory requirements that were just announced by the U.S. Gymnastics Federation.

Learning together and competing as a team have helped bring the Class III gymnasts closer, Lyons said.

``Even though this is a first-year team, it`s always important for us to do well as a team,`` Lyons said. ``We have a team spirit here. We want everyone to do well.

``We don`t want winning to overshadow their performances though,`` he explained. ``If they do their best routines we will do well.``

Lyons believes he has a good all-around team, but it is especially strong on floor exercises. His wife, Joy, coaches girls on the floor and beam routines. Lyons specializes on the vault and bars.

Locurto said his teachers closely follow the progress of students with a thorough grading system. Girls 8 to 18 work themselves through a series of promotions. Along the way, report cards are used to grade students on skills, attitude and attendance.

``No child is looked at as unteachable,`` Locurto said. ``We take pride in our school and its philosophy. We think we can put our best five gymnasts up against any five in the region.``

ISG moved during June from Margate to a new 16,600 square-foot gym on Wiles Road. The school has 400 students and, according to Locurto, is the only school in the state to have four gymnasts classified as Elite. One of them, Dawn Newman, 14, of Stewart was invited to train this month at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.